Summer

Adorn Jewellers scoops top award at 2019 Chesterfield Retail Awards

Adorn Jewellers has been named as Chesterfield’s favourite retailer. The independent jeweller, which is owned by husband and wife team Laura Jo and Adam Owen, was crowned Retailer of the Year at the 2019 Chesterfield Retail Awards on Wednesday 19 June.

The multi award-winning jeweller, which is based in The Shambles in Chesterfield town centre, also clinched the title of Home and Gifts Retailer of the Year at the annual awards ceremony held at Casa Hotel.

This is the fifth consecutive year Adorn Jewellers has been recognised at the annual awards, but 2019 is the first year the business has taken the coveted overall title of Retailer of the Year.

Delighted to accept the award, Laura Jo Owen said: “After a winning a number of retail awards over the last five years I am absolutely speechless to win Retailer of the Year. Chesterfield has so many fantastic shops and stores that make for an amazing retail landscape, so to win the top award is unbelievable.”

The Retailer of the Year title sponsored by East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire) was just one of 15 awards presented to 13 businesses, events and individuals at the sixth annual Chesterfield Retail Awards ceremony, which was hosted by Peak FM presenter, Craig Bailey.

Organised by Destination Chesterfield, the awards recognise the very best shops, stores, market stalls and events in the borough. Nominated by shoppers, the winners were all selected by an independent panel of judges as well as Destination Chesterfield assessing the online presence of the businesses.

On the night it was also a double win for Something Special Bridal, based in Old Whittington, which walked away with the Independent Retailer of the Year and Excellence in Customer Service titles.

And it wasn’t just businesses recognised for their contribution to Chesterfield’s retail sector; apprentices and events were too.

Apprentice hairdresser Kelly Jaggers (24) from Bliss Hair, Nails and Beauty in Hasland was named Retail Apprentice of the Year and Chesterfield’s popular Food and Drink Festival, which is organised by Edge Events, was voted Best Town Centre Event.

Councillor Amanda Serjeant, Vice Chair of Destination Chesterfield and Deputy Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “The Chesterfield Retail Awards recognises some of the town’s most wonderful people and businesses and the 2019 awards ceremony was no exception. The way we shop is changing and Chesterfield’s retailers are adapting to this brilliantly. They are creating fun experiences for customers; providing spaces to meet, socialise and shop; utilising technology to communicate with customers and teaming up with local businesses and initiatives to ensure the town’s retail sector continues to thrive. Congratulations to every shortlisted and winning business and individual. They all play a very important role in Chesterfield’s economy.”

In addition to Adorn Jewellers, Something Special Bridal, Kelly Jaggers and the Chesterfield Food and Drink Festival, the winners of the 2019 Chesterfield Retail Awards included:

Retailer of the Year (Sponsored by East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire)

Adorn Jewellers

Hair & Beauty Business of the Year (Sponsored by Elite Private Education)

Belle Vie

Alysha Bradley, Owner of Belle Vie said: “It feels absolutely amazing to be crowned Hair and Beauty Business of the Year. We care so much about the people in the business, our customers and the contribution we are all making to the community. The next step for the business is to open a disability retreat for adults and children.”

Fashion and Footwear Retailer of the Year (sponsored by In the Works PR)

Dotique

Dorothy Robinson, Owner of Dotique said: “We were delighted to win Best New Store last year so to follow that up with the Fashion and Footwear Retailer of the Year award in 2019 is just fabulous. I am ecstatic. I am very proud of Chesterfield and so happy to be here.

Home & Gifts Retailer of the Year

Adorn Jewellers of Chesterfield

Food & Drink Retailer of the Year

Ibbotson’s Fresh Quality Produce

Nick Ibbotson, Owner of Ibbotson’s Fresh Quality Produce, said: “We’re over the moon to win the award particularly as it recognises the quality of our produce. I personally hand select all our produce daily from wholesale farmers and markets and if I wouldn’t eat it, then it’s not good enough for our customers. We’re all about quality.”

Leisure Retailer of the Year (sponsored by Peak FM)

Quinney’s Pet Supplies

Brian Quinney, Owner of Quinney’s Pet Supplies, said: “It feels amazing to be crowned Leisure Retailer of the year. It’s a fantastic reward after two and half years of hard work. We’ve grown massively since we opened, and we hope to continue that growth in the future.”

Market Hall Business of the Year (Sponsored by Arvato)

R P Davidson Cheese Factor

Simon Davidson, Owner of R P Davidson Cheese Factor said: “It’s a great honour for me and my staff to be crowned Market Hall Business of the Year. It’s important that the business continues to evolve. We don’t want more shops, but we definitely want to work with other retailers, and we have sponsored the Chesterfield Food and Drink Festival in Queens Park in 2019.”

Market Trader of the Year (Sponsored by Chesterfield Borough Council)

Roper’s Honey

Helen Roper, Owner of Roper’s Honey said: “It’s really exciting to be crowned Market Trader of the Year. We love the market, the customers and our fellow market traders – it’s like a big family – just like our business and we hope our children will be the future of it.”

Independent Retailer of the Year (Sponsored by Jumble Creative Design)

Something Special Bridal

Tonya Stickley, Owner of Something Special Bridal, said: “I am over the moon to win. It is beyond amazing. It means so much to me and my little boutique to win the awards. It’s a tough environment economically and politically, so it’s great to recognise the independent retailer.”

National/Multiple Retailer of the Year (Sponsored by The University of Derby)

The Body Shop

Hannah Richardson, Manager of The Body Shop in Chesterfield said: “We were all completely shocked to hear we’d won. We are a small team of four, who are all committed to delivering the very best service to our loyal customers. We are all so proud to have won the award.”

Excellence in Customer Service (Sponsored by Casa Hotel)

Something Special Bridal

Best Town Centre Event (Sponsored by Spire Radio)

Chesterfield Food and Drink Festival

Laura Ashby, Managing Director of Edge Events, said: “It feels amazing to be local to Chesterfield and to win this award. It’s a fantastic event that is for all members of the family. We’re delighted to win.”

Apprentice of the Year (Sponsored by Apprentice Town (Led by Chesterfield Borough Council)

Kelly Jaggers (Bliss Hair, Nails and Beauty)

She said: “I am so happy and surprised to win the award. It is so nice to be appreciated. I have just completed my Level 2 apprenticeship and now want to do my Level 3. If you want to learn a new skill or trade, an apprenticeship is the best way to do it.”

Apprentice Employer of the Year (Sponsored by Learning Unlimited (The Chesterfield College Group)

The Therapy Lounge

Carly Smith, Owner of The Therapy Lounge, said: “I’m really pleased that I and the whole team have been recognised for the time and effort we put into our apprentice programme. I am a massive advocate of apprenticeships because I know the benefits that they can bring to a business as well as to the career development of young people.”

Best New Store 2018/2019 (Sponsored by Pavements Shopping Centre)

Astra Designs

Donna Danielle, Owner of Astra Designs said: “It’s a big shock to win but feels absolutely amazing to be named as the Best New Store at the Retail Awards.  There is so much support for business in Chesterfield. The community and customers mean so much to us and help us grow the business, which means my daughter is able to join it next year as an apprentice.”

Further supporters of the 2019 Chesterfield Retail Awards include: Derbyshire Times, eBusiness Works, JayRar, Hoods Florist, JP Fire Safety and Temple Safety.

For more information and images of the awards, visit www.chesterfield.co.uk/retailawards

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

BRM Solicitors to sponsor Chesterfield Festival of Cricket

Leading law firm and Chesterfield Champions BRM Solicitors take on naming rights of the popular Chesterfield Festival of Cricket after being involved in the annual event since 2013.

The BRM Solicitors Chesterfield Festival of Cricket, which returns to the picturesque Queen’s Park on Sunday 14 July, will see Derbyshire play Northamptonshire in four-day first-class cricket, before it rounds-off with the showpiece Twenty20 fixture against Yorkshire in front of what is expected to be a capacity crowd.

Jimmy Drew, Commercial Manager at Derbyshire County Cricket Club, said: “It’s great to extend our relationship with BRM Solicitors after they have been involved in the festival for a number of seasons.”

“We’ve had some exciting matches across both formats in recent years, including a memorable Vitality Blast win last summer, and we hope to see more of the same in 2019.”

“The festival is very well supported – less than 30 per cent of tickets remain for the Yorkshire fixture – and by taking on the headline sponsorship, BRM Solicitors’ name and branding will be highly visible across Chesterfield this July.”

Rob Woodhead (right), Executive Director at BRM Solicitors, added: “BRM is delighted to continue its support of the Chesterfield Festival of Cricket.”

“Queen’s Park is recognised as one of the best venues to watch cricket in the world and the Derbyshire/Yorkshire T20 Blast, on Saturday the 20 July, is the jewel in the festival’s crown.”

“From BRM’s perspective the opening of our Sheffield office, at Steel City House in 2018, brings added ‘spice’ to the Derbyshire/Yorkshire fixture. When the possibility of becoming the headline sponsor of the Festival arose, it was too good an opportunity to miss!”

Find more information for this summer’s BRM Solicitors Chesterfield Festival of Cricket here.

Chesterfield Festival of Cricket Image David Griffin

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

The town centre comes to life at this time of year

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield‘s latest blogs looks forward to the great events happening this Summer in Chesterfield.

We’re half way through the year and the weather is warming up, which can only mean one thing – the events season is upon us and Chesterfield is certainly getting into the swing of it !!

The town centre fully comes to life at this time of year, with events drawing in visitors who are keen to experience something a little different. This is where being a market town gives us one of many advantages as Chesterfield the ready-made outside space in the market to host festivals and events.

I am delighted to see that event organisers are making the most of this space. In May we welcomed Chesterfield Street Food and Grooves Festival for a second year running and the brand new Vegan Knights Festival and of course the ever popular Artisan Market.

Events like these play a big role in encouraging footfall into the town centre, giving visitors the opportunity to see for themselves our great retail and food and drink offering. Often, people can run down the town, claiming in one breath that it is full of empty shops yet, in the same sentence, admit to never shopping in Chesterfield.

The town is most definitely not full of empty shops. In fact, Chesterfield is renowned nationally for having fewer vacant shops than the majority of towns and cities.

We owe our vibrant town centre in part to the plethora of independent businesses who are located there; long established retailers as well as new  shops, stores and market stalls opening regularly.

The wealth of independent retailers has never been more apparent that in the shortlist for year’s Chesterfield Retail Awards. We had a record year for nominations with more than half of the 30 finalists being shortlisted for the first time in the awards.  The strong shortlist not only mirrors the year-on-year success of these popular awards but also the town’s high-quality and varied retail scene.

It’s very encouraging to see so many people taking the time to nominate their favourites in both the Chesterfield Retail Awards.  We have seen a similar picture in nominations for the Food and Drink businesses. Having such a varied shortlist only adds to the excitement of the awards and makes for a very special awards evening.

If you can’t make the Retail or Food or Drink Awards, don’t worry; there’s a whole plethora of things happening in and around Chesterfield this year which showcase the town’s vibrant retail and food and drink scene.

These events are not only an opportunity to have a great time, but also a way to shop local and invest in the economy. We can all play our part in helping make Chesterfield the place to live, work and invest.

Destination Chesterfield has an up-to-date list of events on its website at www.chesterfield.co.uk. You won’t be disappointed!

Summer in Chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Blog, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer

Historic Pub Tour launched in Chesterfield

A new attraction launches in Chesterfield at the end of June. The Chesterfield Great Historic Pub Tour features 8 of the town centre public houses and the town’s historic sites along the way.

Taking place every Saturday from 12:00 noon, at the Pig And Pump on St Mary’s Gate, (formerly the White Swan), this walking tour takes 4 hours.    

Launching on the 29th of June and running until the end of August, the tour costs just £5 per person, which can be paid in cash to the tour guide on the day as booking is not required.

“I am hoping to attract visitors from far and wide”, said the Tour’s Creator, Shaun Stevenson. “There is a great deal of interesting history behind many of the pubs in Chesterfield, and I want this Tour to be both enlightening and fun”.

A guidebook, which contains much of the historical information, directions and also an observational quiz, is currently being put together, with the help of local historian, Janet Murphy. The guidebook will be available to purchase from the Tourist Information Centre, and at each of the venues from August.

Shaun is hoping to attract local people interested in the history of Chesterfield through the summer and is also marketing the tour to coach companies.

Pig and Pump

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Chesterfield Town Centre Car Boot Approved

Plans for Chesterfield’s Sunday morning car boot to move to Chesterfield town centre have been approved by Chesterfield Borough Council’s planning committee.

At their meeting yesterday, members of the planning committee agreed to the move of the weekly council-run car boot sale, which is currently held at the Proact Stadium, to Rose Hill car park from July.

The last car boot sale at the Proact Stadium is due to be held on Sunday 14 July with the first one anticipated to take place at Rose Hill car park, behind the Town Hall from Sunday 21 July.

The car park will close each Sunday morning for the car boot sale to take place from 8am to 1pm with access for traders from 7am.

Plans have been put in place for traders arriving early to wait on Rose Hill to prevent disruption for residents on nearby streets.

Councillor Kate Sarvent, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy said: “It’s exciting to see the car boot sale move to the town centre.

“We have kept existing traders informed of the plans and we look forward to welcoming traders old and new as well as new customers to the car boot sale at Rose Hill car park from July.”

Chesterfield borough residents can use their free parking pass to park for free in nearby surface car parks including: Albion Road and Holywell Cross (Donut) car parks.

Additional free parking for residents is available at: Derbyshire Times, Devonshire Street, Durrant Road, Hollis Lane (excluding on-street bays), Queens Park (North and South), Spa Lane, Station Road, St Mary’s Gate and Theatre Lane car parks.

Any new traders looking to stand at the car boot sale at Rose Hill car park should contact the council’s markets team by calling (01246) 345999 or email markets@chesterfield.gov.uk

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Exhibition of Chatsworth treasures in New York could boost U.S. visitors to Peak District and Derbyshire

The Peak District and Derbyshire could look forward to a rise in visits from the US as a prestigious exhibition of art and objects from Chatsworth launches at Sotheby’s in New York.

Free of charge and open to the public from 28 June – 18 September 2019, Treasures from Chatsworth: The Exhibition, offers a rare chance to view the legendary Devonshire Collection in the US.

As well as offering a showcase to some of the Derbyshire stately home’s most famous treasures, it is hoped the exhibition will inspire more US tourists to book a trip to the Peak District and Derbyshire – discovering the area’s vibrant cultural scene in the process.

Treasures from Chatsworth will feature over 40 masterworks including fine art, decorative objects, furniture, jewellery, clothing and archival materials from the Devonshire Collection – widely celebrated as one of the most significant art collections in Europe. All objects have been accumulated over 500 years by the Cavendish family, and held at Chatsworth near Bakewell.

Research from VisitBritain shows that the UK’s culture and heritage is a huge draw for overseas visitors – with more than £8 billion spent annually by international tourists who visit castles/historic houses in the UK (based on 2016 figures).

Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire, the area’s official tourist board, says the exhibition will help to raise awareness of the area’s rich cultural heritage, which ranges from stately homes such as Chatsworth, home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, to a vibrant arts scene and sites of worldwide historical importance, such as the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.

The US is the UK’s most valuable inbound visitor market for tourism spend, with US visitors spending a record £3.6 billion across the UK in 2017, up 9% on the previous year. Visits from the US grew 13% to 3.9 million in the same period.

The US also ranked the UK second out of 50 nations for its overall brand in the 2018 Anholt Nation Brands Index, up one place on 2017 and equalling its highest ranking ever.

Tourism’s value to the Peak District and Derbyshire economy was worth £2.15 billion in 2017, supporting 28,630 full-time jobs with 40.45 million visitors travelling to the area in the same period.*

Jo Dilley, Managing Director of Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire, said:  “Promoting the Peak District and Derbyshire on a global scale is at the heart of our work, so it is fantastic news that items from Chatsworth’s prestigious Devonshire Collection will be exhibited in New York this summer.

“Boosting visitor numbers and increasing visitor spend is paramount in ensuring that the local economy can reap the benefits of tourism, and the Treasures from Chatsworth exhibition will serve as a great international showcase for the area’s rich cultural heritage.

“Chatsworth is one of the UK’s leading stately homes and we hope the exhibition will inspire more US visitors to add Chatsworth, and the wider Peak District and Derbyshire area, to their must-visit list.’

Derbyshire County Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategic Leadership, Culture and Tourism, Councillor Barry Lewis, said: “Promoting Derbyshire as a global cultural and tourist destination is one of our top priorities and Chatsworth is one of the jewels in Derbyshire’s crown, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors to our county each year.

“So we’re thrilled to hear some of the estate’s treasures will be showcased in New York and hope it will whet the appetite of American tourists who will be encouraged to visit Derbyshire and see all our beautiful county has to offer for themselves.”

Gavin Landry, VisitBritain Director of the Americas, said: “It is great to have this exhibition come to the US and shine a spotlight on the cultural draw of the Peak District and Derbyshire, inspiring Americans to travel to Britain.

“Our research shows that many US visitors are motivated to travel to Britain due to our history and heritage and this exhibition is sure to get more Americans to experience the delights of Chatsworth and the surrounding area and extend their stay.”

Images: Chatsworth House Trust

The Painted Hall at Chatsworth (credit Chatsworth House Trust)

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Events aimed at ambitious writers and keen readers

Arts Derbyshire has been awarded £14,950 from Arts Council England to run a project for writers and readers.

The project, called Writing Ambitions: Commissioning, is a partnership between Festivity, Writing East Midlands, Junction Arts and Derbyshire County Council.

It will commission five writers to work with a Derbyshire-based arts festival during 2020 to produce and perform pieces of writing in the local community.

All of the festivals selected are members of Festivity, which is the arts festival forum for Derbyshire, and a part of Arts Derbyshire. It includes:
•Tapton Lock Festival in Chesterfield
•Melbourne Festival
•Erewash Festival of Light
•New Mills Festival
•Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Discovery Days Festival

Each writer will also have the opportunity to collaborate with a local Derbyshire library.

A networking and information day will launch the project this autumn.

The writers will be supported with workshops and mentoring by well-established and award-winning writers and poets Cathy Grindrod, Jo Bell, Matt Black and River Wolton.

Workshop places are open to all writers and will offer support to those interested in working to commission, in other words, being paid to complete a special piece of work.

The commissioned writers will also collaborate on a piece of work providing advice to writers hoping to be commissioned in the future.

Councillor Barry Lewis, Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategic Leadership, Culture and Tourism, said:

“This is a fantastic opportunity for experienced or budding writers to take their writing further. Not only will the project foster local talent but it will boost local events and communities as well.”

The project will also deliver the LoveLit series of literature events and writing workshops for readers and writers held in Derbyshire libraries.

On Tuesday 18 June 2019 at Chesterfield library social historian and broadcaster Hallie Rubenhold will talk about her new book ‘The Five’ which looks at the lives of the women murdered by Jack the Ripper.

Writing workshops with Mike Gayle, Professor Joe Moran and Joanna Courtney are among the other events being held.

And the first Derbyshire Noir Book Festival on Saturday 17 August 2019, celebrating crime and psychological thrillers, will feature panels, talks and a chance to network for crime readers and writers at Chesterfield library.

Writing Workshops Chesterfield Library

Posted in About Chesterfield, Summer, Visiting

Chesterfield Manufacturer’s Goods Selected for Famous London Retailer

Chesterfield business Ingmans is celebrating after a luxury briefcase which retails at £3,995 has been commissioned by Joseph Cheaney & Sons.

Their leather luggage brand “Cobb England” is manufactured in the heart of Chesterfield alongside their retail and cobbler business.

Andy Ingman said “To say we are proud to be commissioned by a 150 year old,  established English company, with such prestige as “Joseph Cheaney & Sons is an understatement of great magnitude.
Joseph Cheaney are one of the UK’s greatest quality, Goodyear welted shoe manufacturers. ”

“Great Britain ?? is  the cultivator of the shoe industry in the 18th century, and has held its own on a global front ever since. So for our company as small as it may be, shows craftsmanship, quality, consistency and tenacity has made us break through into our capital London. Not only that, Jermyn street which is famous for retail throughout the world.”

The business relocated to the former Burton’s Store in Chesterfield on Burlington Street in 2018.

Andy Ingman, added “We wanted to create a lovely place to shop with a unique experience where we can offer excellent customer service.  We have a beautiful stock of shoes, clothing & handmade leather goods and we have also created a wonderful workspace for shoe repairs.”

Ingmans have also been nominated as a finalist in the best new store category at the Chesterfield Retail Awards.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Leisure, Made in Chesterfield, Summer, Visiting

Get a Free Personal Caricature at Vicar Lane

Vicar Lane Shopping Centre, Chesterfield is excited to announce plans to offer customers the chance to receive a FREE personal caricature at the centre this spring bank holiday weekend.

They are inviting customers to come and take a seat for one of two professional caricature artists, who will be waiting with pens poised from 11am – 4pm on Saturday 25th May, to create a portrait of their cartoon likeness, completely FREE.

It’s the ideal occasion for visitors receive a unique piece of art for the wall or a memento of a day out with friends or family.

The artists will be located at St. James Square on the grass area throughout the day and Caricatures will be offered on a strictly first come, first served basis. These take just approximately 15 minutes to create, so customers are advised to arrive early to avoid disappointment.

Shaun Brown, Centre Manager, Vicar Lane said, “We know how customers are expecting more and more from their shopping trip these days so we wanted to host a small-scale event to brighten their day. A free caricature is sure to make a unique and quirky addition to any home, so we’re sure customers of all ages will appreciate them.”

Vicar Lane Shopping Centre

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Chesterfield Named as One of the UK’s Most Instagrammed Towns

Chesterfield has been named the 32nd most instagrammed town in the UK according to research by Cheaphotels4uk.

The travel website used Instagram to analyse where can you find the most picturesque towns in all of the UK.

It researched the photo sharing platform to find out which towns are the most Instagrammed, by examining how many times a post of every UK town had been shared on the site.

You can read the full results at https://cheaphotels4uk.com/travel-guide/best-towns-uk

Find out what is happening in Chesterfield on Instagram – Give us a follow here.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Another New Retailer Opens at Vicar Lane Shopping Centre

Brand new store, Inside Out, opened at Vicar Lane Shopping on Saturday 27th April 2019.

Customers can expect to find a range of home and garden décor, including retro furniture, cushions, novelty signs, pictures and other quirky decorations. The independent retailer has only a handful of stores based locally around the region, each offering a wide range of unique home furnishings.

Shaun Brown, Centre Manager, Vicar Lane said, “We’re really excited to welcome Inside Out to our line-up. It’s a great store to have at Vicar Lane, offering customers somewhere different to find distinctive homeware, alongside the appeal of our high street fashion and ‘pleasure shopping’ offer.”

The shop is in a prime location in the heart of the town’s shopping district, situated next to O2 and opposite Holland & Barrett on Vicar Lane, and offers shoppers a place to find unique furnishings to decorate their home and garden with.

The new store will be open from 9.00am to 5.30pm Monday to Saturday and 10.00am to 4.00pm on Sundays.

Find out more about shopping in Chesterfield

Inside Out Vicar Lane

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development, Summer, Visiting